Power driven snow vehicle



June 16, 1931. E. M. TUCKER POWER DRIVEN SNOW VEHICLE Filed March 26. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR EM.TlLc1cer ATTO R N EY June 16, 1931. E. M. TUCKER POWER DRIVEN SNOW VEHICLE Filed March 26, 1928 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Tucker BY m gm ll IllIIIIIIIIIHITHIIYIT;

30' Fig; 3 -is a fragmentary showing themountingof the front steering I i which leads'from the power plant ofthe ve- Patented Junellfi, 1931 EMMITT M'. 'r cKE'R; or nnnronn onneon POWER DRIVEN} snow VEHICLE g Application filed March 26,1928. Serial 'no .'2e4,7 20 I v This invention relatesto automotive road vehicles and particularly one for use 1nw traveling over snow.

The principal provide aj-vehicle ofthis general character having supportingr'and propelling means so arranged that-the vehicle can operate in snow of any deptliand ,cantravel at speeds corresponding to those, of ordinary automobiles,

with apowerplant of the same character and.

ower. .A further object'of the invention is to pro vide the vehicle with normally raised wheels 7 which'a're adapted to be lo'wered when dry 1 groundis encountered, and to provide so that,

said wheelsmay be driven and steered, so that the'vehicle can; be operated on dry ground in the'same manner-as an ordinary car;

' These objects accomplish by means of zosuch structure and relative arrangement of parts aswil'l fully appearby a perusal of the 7 following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of referenc'e indicate corresponding'parts in the der'or drum 12 adapted to rest on the snow between the runners 3, said cylinder having '25 several views: 7 r V v V Flg, leis a-side elevatlonof my improved snow vehicle.

Fig, 2 is atop plan viewof the same with I therealong f-rom end toend; This cylinder front end View runner and wheels;

c Fig. 1 is-a side elevation of the r'bpn n a in its? customary location under the hood cylindenand adjacent parts. 1

of aside runner.

Fig. 6'is' a sectional'elevation of the driving, connections between the cylinder andwheel vehicle, whichjis similar to that of an ordinary motor vehicle -and 'on'which the body and power plant are mounted. This frame is supported atits front end on" a relatively long skid or runner wing' 'disposed centrally over 'andoprojectingahead ofthe frame; and towardthe rear by transversely spaced side Jrunners '3; r i Y obj ect' of my invention is to Fig.- 5 is a side, elevation mainly in section Y jects laterally from" the stem so as toenable steering connections to; -be"1nade' with the a steering wheel 7 of the vehicle by (means of a suitable mechanis'm'of the type commonly used forthe purpose. The rear runners are supported some distance'outwardly of thesides of the frame by rigid V shaped brackets 8 pivoted thereon anddepending from trans versebeams 9 mounted onthe frame.- All the runners have relatively short centrally disposed keels'lO depending therefrom and vertically slidable therein, being yieldably presseddown by springs connected to the runners and tothe keels at their ends. These: keels prevent lateral' slipping of the: runners and yet can move up'out of the way when HY striking any solid construction which might,

tend toidamage them an outwardly projecting screw spiral 13 ofpredetermined pitch and 'depth extending is connectedto' and rotated byfan ordinary. so. swivel jointed-prope1lershaft structure 14 hicle, which power plant as usual is mounted- 15- at-the front end-of the frame. The cylinder'is preferably mounted in a-hOrizontal 7 frame 16 extending thereabout, which frame is connectedto therear ends of cantilever, springs 17 which at their forwardendsare connected to the vehicle frame. 'The are rangement ofthese springs is such that they press'the frame 16, andoconsequently the cylinder intolyielding engagement with the snow. I

These springs also act as torque or tension arms, preventing lateral deflection of the cylinder and relieving the tension on the propeller shaft. In order toenable the pres-c sure of the springsflagainst the cylinder rameto bea1tered,-adjustable crew f' iiare fi" steering the vehicle.

an auxiliary runner 19, preferably having an upward slope toward its forward end. The

bottom of this runner at the rear is level with the bottom of the cylinder, and the trans verse curvature. of the bottom of said runner is the same as that of the cylinder.

The forward runner 2 is also longitudisame transverse bottom curvature as said cylinder.

runner as is practicable so as not to throw the runner greatly out of line with the cylinder when the runner is turned laterally for arrangement it will be seen that the vehicle is supported on the snow independently of the cylinder, and the pressure of the latter against the snow is governed by 1ts own weight and by the action of the springs 17 The front runner, engaging the snow ahead of the cylinder and being pressed: down ,by'

the weight of the front end of the vehicle, packs the snow and makes a curvedrtrough into which the cylinder projects. Therunher 19 further packs the snow in the trough v already made by the front runner before thecylinder itself engages said trough;

The cylinder therefore engages a packed: and substantially solid surface, regardlessof the actual natural condition of thesnow itself, so that when the spiral of the cylinder cuts into the snow, sufli'cient resistance is offered to cause the vehicle to be advanced without any appreciable slipping orchurning movement of the cylinder in-the snow being had. The solid pack depth of snow in which the machine can operate is limited only by the depth of the spiral on the cylin der, which I have found from experience to give'good results if made about 2 inches deep.

In order to enable the vehicle to. travel over dry ground when necessary I provide the following arrangement: Pivoted on and projecting laterally from the stem 1 of the front runner are arms 20 on the outer ends of which are -mounted ordinary Wheels 21. These arms are coupled together to hold the wheels raised above the runners by a detachable link 22; and when in their lowered position, so as to cause the wheelsto be lower the same mechanism as is used to steer the.

runner.

To support the rear end of the vehicle I The pivotal stem of the front run ner is set as far toward the rear end of said As a result of this provide a pair of rear side wheels 24, preferably disposed between the runners 3 and the sides of the frameahead of the brackets 8. These wheels are mounted on arms 25 which extend forwardly and are pivoted at their forward ends onto the frame 1. These arms are connected to rigid vertical members 26 which are slidable through supports 27 on the frame 1. Heavy pins 28 are mounted in said supports and engage vertically spaced notches in the members 26 to hold the matter immovable, thus enabling the arms 25 to be held so that the wheels will be above the runnally alined with the cylinder and has the,

ing lever 31. This structure is preferably mounted in connection with the ordinary transmlssion mechanlsm from whlchthe propeller shaft 14 projects, so that differentspeeds may be imparted to the propeller shaft and the shafts 29. 'At their outer ends the shafts29 are connected with the wheels by chain or other suitable drive means 32. To hold the cylinder from contact with the ground when thewheels are supporting the vehicle, and without depending on the springs 17, I may mount chains 33 or the like on the frame 1 'to detachably engage eyes 34 on the rear of the cylinder frame 16. When raising or lowering the wheels ordinary jacks are preferably used to support the frameof themachine at the desired level while the wheels are being moved from one position toanother. v 1 J -r Fromthe foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have producedsuch a de vice as, substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction" of thedevice, still in practice such deviations from such detail ma ybe resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz' 1. A power driven snow vehicle including a frame, a driven screw cylinder extending v lengthwise of the frame, means flexibly supporting the cylinder from the frame to enable said cylinder to yieldably engage the snow, a runner mounted in rigid connection with the frame ahead :of and longitudinally alinedwith the cylinder to pack the snow ahead of the cylinder, and a further runner mounted in fixed connection with'the cylinder supporting means ahead of the same. and

arranged to further pack the snow in the V path of the cylinder.

2. Asnow vehicle including a frame, runners for supporting the frame fromthe snow,

mounted in fixedly spaced relation thereto, rear wheels vertically adjustable relative to the frame for supporting the rear end of the same. from the ground, front wheels for supporting the front end of the 'frame from the ground transyersely extending axle members on the outer ends of which thefront' wheels are mounted, pivotal supporting oonnections for the adjacent ends of the axles to permit the same to swing in a vertical plane transversely of the vehicle, and detach-1 able link means for holding said axle members rigid with each other when fully raised or lowered. I

' In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

' EMIZHTT M. TUCKER" 

